System and method for determining a subscriber&#39;S zone information

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for delivering customized content to wireless service subscribers are disclosed. According to the disclosed embodiments, wireless access points can be grouped into various zones. Some of all of these zones can be further associated with predefined service types or other customized attributes. When a wireless subscriber connects to an access point in a given zone, the subscriber can be provided with content and/or services based on the zone to which he is connected.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a Continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/446,451, filed Apr. 20, 2009 now abandoned, which application is a U.S. National Stage Application of PCT Application No. US07/82156, filed Oct. 22, 2007, which application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/853,156, filed Oct. 20, 2006, all of which are incorporated herein in their entireties by reference.

BACKGROUND

In this digital age, modern telecommunication service providers and device manufacturers are increasingly relying on public and/or private IP networks, including the Internet, as a core part of their technology. For example, many telecommunications service providers now offer a suite of Voice over IP (“VoIP”) services, as well as various data services, that utilize IP networks and/or IP-based wireless access networks (e.g., access networks based on IEEE 802.16 (“WiMAX”). IEEE 802.20 Mobile Broadband Wireless Access (MBWA), Ultra Wideband (UWB), 802.11 wireless fidelity (“Wi-Fi”), Bluetooth, and similar standards) for at least part of their infrastructure. Likewise, device manufacturers are producing the next generation of mobile devices (e.g. wireless handhelds, wireless handsets, mobile phones, personal digital assistances, notebook computers, and similar devices) that are enabled to send and receive information utilizing IP-based telecommunications services. In fact, many of today's modern mobile devices are able to function as “dual-mode devices” that take advantage of both cellular network technologies and IP-based technologies.

Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) technology has developed as part of this trend to incorporate IP solutions into mobile device telecommunication systems. UMA technology has recently been accepted into Release 6 of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) and is also referred to as Generic Access Network (GAN) technology. In various implementation schemes, UMA allows wireless service providers to merge cellular networks (such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM)) networks and IP-based wireless networks into one seamless service (with one mobile device, one user interface, and a common set of network services for both voice and data). One goal of UMA is to allow subscribers to move transparently between cellular networks and IP-based wireless networks with seamless voice and data session continuity, much like they can transparently move between cells within the cellular network. Seamless in-call handover between the IP-based wireless network and the cellular network ensures that the user's location and mobility do not affect the services delivered to the user.

At an operational level, UMA technology effectively creates a parallel radio access network, the UMA network, which interfaces to the mobile core network using standard mobility-enabled interfaces. For example, UMA can replace a system's GSM radio technology on the lower protocol layers with a wireless LAN, or similar technology. A call or other communication may be tunneled to the Mobile Switching Center (MSC) of a mobile service provider via an access point (e.g., a WiFi access point connected to a modem via the Internet) and gateway (e.g., a UMA network controller). In many cases, the mobile core network remains unchanged, making it much easier to maintain full service and operational transparency and allowing other aspects of the service infrastructure to remain in place. For example, in many systems that utilize UMA, the existing service provider's business support systems (BSS), service delivery systems, content services, regulatory compliance systems, and operation support systems (OSS) can support the UMA network without change. Likewise, service enhancements and technology evolution of the mobile core network apply transparently to both cellular access and UMA.

As the incorporation of IP solutions, such as UMA, into mobile device telecommunication systems expands, wireless service providers and wireless users have the opportunity to provide additional customized services. For example, a WiFi access point to which IP-based wireless telecommunications subscribers are connected may be interesting to a service provider because certain assumptions can be made about the subscribers using that access point. If a service provider could effectively and efficiently take action based assumptions derived from on how or where an IP-based wireless telecommunications subscriber was connected, the wireless user experience could be enhanced measurably.

The need exists for a system that overcomes the above problems, as well as one that provides additional benefits. Overall, the examples herein of some prior or related systems and their associated limitations are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of existing or prior systems will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon reading the following Detailed Description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates aspects of a sample network system that allows VoIP-based communications in conjunction with a public switched telephone network (PSTN).

FIG. 2 illustrates an example converged wireless network system that combines a cellular network with an IP-based wireless telecommunications network.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example mapping from service zones, to service types, to subscribers.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example CGI and IP-based wireless telecommunications service zone selection process.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description provides specific details for a thorough understanding of, and enabling description for, various embodiments of the technology. One skilled in the art will understand that the technology may be practiced without these details. In some instances, well-known structures and functions have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of the embodiments of the technology. It is intended that the terminology used in the description presented below be interpreted in its broadest reasonable manner, even though it is being used in conjunction with a detailed description of certain embodiments of the technology. Although certain terms may be emphasized below, any terminology intended to be interpreted in any restricted manner will be overtly and specifically defined as such in this Detailed Description section. Additional details of the systems and methods described below are provided in co-pending PCT Application No. PCT/US2006/41225, filed on Oct. 20, 2006, titled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR RATING AN IP-BASED WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATION BASED ON ACCESS POINT,” hereby incorporated by reference.

Sample Network Configurations

FIGS. 1 and 2 show sample network system configurations in which aspects of an access point management facility can be implemented in accordance with various embodiments. In general, one purpose of the access point management facility is to manage groups of WiFi access points, and the service types and subscribers associated with those access points.

FIG. 1 illustrates aspects of a sample network system 100 that allows VoIP-based communications in conjunction with a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 102. The system 100 includes at least one wireless access point 104. The access point 104 may be public or private, and may be located, for example, in a subscriber's residence (e.g., home, apartment or other residence), in a public location (e.g., coffee shops, retail stores, libraries, or schools) or in corporate or other private locations. In the sample system of FIG. 1, the access point 104 can accept communications 106 from at least one suitably configured telecommunications device 108 (e.g., a VoIP device). Various examples of network technology that may be involved in communicating between the telecommunications device 108 and the access point 104 include the IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), IEEE 802.20 Mobile Broadband Wireless Access (MBWA), Ultra Wideband (UWB), 802.11 wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi), Bluetooth standards, or other similar standards. The access point 104 includes a wireless router 110 and a broadband modem 112 that enable connection to an Internet Protocol (IP) network 114. The IP network 114 may comprise one or more public networks, private networks, or combination of public and private networks.

In a communication or set of communications 106, the access point 104 receives IP packets from the telecommunications device 108. These IP packets are then transported through the IP network 114 to a signaling gateway 116, which in the example of FIG. 1, is operated by a telecommunications service provider. At the signaling gateway 116, the IP packets are converted to a traditional phone service signal. The phone service signal is then conveyed to a recipient via the PSTN 102.

The network system 100 of FIG. 1 also includes a call controller 118 that provides call logic and call control functions for communications sent through the system and an application server 120 that provides logic and execution of one or more applications or services offered by the telecommunications service provider, such as applications that implement various access and security rules. In some embodiments, aspects of the zone information may be determined with the mapping and processes, as described in more detail below with respect to FIGS. 3-4. In this example, a telecommunication service provider manages both the call controller 118 and the application server 120.

FIG. 2 illustrates a sample network system 200 in which aspects of the access point access point management facility can be implemented within a cellular telephone-type network. In general, with respect to the network system described in FIG. 2, because the same cellular protocols are used in communications involving IP access points as with traditional radio towers, the cellular service provider maintains a large degree of system compatibility even though using an IP-based network. For example, the various systems of the cellular service provider that deliver content and handle mobility may not even need to be aware that a subscriber's mobile device is on an IP-based wireless telecommunications network. Instead, the various systems of the cellular service provider assume the mobile device is on its native cellular network. The IP network is, therefore, abstracted with respect to the cellular network, regardless of whether the mobile device connects to the cellular network via a base station (e.g., for licensed spectrum access) or a wireless access point (e.g., for licensed, semilicensed and/or unlicensed spectrum access—such as spectrums for IP-based wireless telecommunications). Likewise, at a protocol level, because the same cellular protocols are used in communications involving the IP access points as with traditional radio towers, the cellular service provider maintains a large degree of system compatibility even though using an IP-based network.

Referring to FIG. 2, a sample network system 200 combines a cellular telephone network 202 (such as a GSM network) and an IP network 204 in a UMA-type configuration that provides service to the user of a mobile device 206. Such service may include voice services, and also supplementary services such as call forwarding and call waiting, text messaging services (e.g., SMS), and data-based services like ring tone downloads, game downloads, picture messaging, email and web browsing. Further, since the mobile device 206 is connected to an IP network, all manner of data services available over such networks may be provided to the mobile device 206.

In general, the described network system 200 accepts registration requests and communication connections from the mobile device 206. The accepted registration requests can be requests to either the cellular telephone network 202 or to the IP-based network 204. Accordingly, to handle requests to the cellular telephone network 202, the cellular telephone network 202 includes one or more cell towers 208 that are configured to accept cellular communications 210 from the mobile device 206. The cell towers 208 are connected to a base station controller 212 (such as a base station controller/radio network controller (BSC/RNC)) via a private network 214. The private network 214 can include a variety of connections (not shown) such as T1 lines, a wide area network (WAN), a local area network (LAN), various network switches, and other similar components.

The base station controller 212 controls communication traffic to a carrier core network 216, where all communications are managed (including both cellular and IP-based). Components of the carrier core network 216 in this example include a switch (e.g., a mobile switching center or MSC) 218, which is configured to control data/call flows and perform load balancing, as well as other functions. The carrier core network 216 may also include a variety of system databases such as an operation support subsystem (OSS) database 220, a business support system (BSS) database 222, and home location register (HLR) 224 or other central subscriber database that contains details of a carrier's subscribers for billing, call logging, etc.

The sample network system 200 of FIG. 2 further includes one or more access points 226 that can accept IP-based communications 228 from the mobile device 206. For example, each access point 226 can be configured as part of a wireless network in one or more locations such as a public network 230, a home network 232, or a private business network 234. Each access point 226 is coupled to the IP network 204 through, for example, a broadband connection (not shown) such as a DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) modem, a cable modem, a satellite modem, or any other broadband device.

When the mobile device 206 attempts to access the IP network 204 (i.e., to initiate an IP-based communication), information (e.g., data, voice, SMS, etc.) is initially formatted in the cellular system's 202 native protocol and then encapsulated into Internet Protocol (IP) packets, which are transmitted to the access point 226 and routed through the IP network 204 to a security gateway 236. In contrast to non-IP communication requests, such transmissions bypass the cellular telephone system's 202 existing network of radio towers. The security gateway 236 controls access to a network controller 238, which communicates with a data store 240 for logging and accessing communications data. Thus, one function of the network controller 238 is to manage access to the carrier network 216 when dealing with an IP-based communication (in a similar manner to that performed by the base station controller 212 for a non-IP-based communication).

In one example, authentication of a request for access by the mobile device 206 over the IP network 204 is handled by the security gateway 236, which communicates with an authentication, access and authorization (AAA) module 240 that is most likely associated with the carrier network 216. Challenges and responses to requests for access by the mobile device 206 are communicated between the HLR 224 and the AAA module 242. When authorization is granted, the security gateway 236 communicates the assignment of an IP address to the mobile device 206 that requested access. Once the security gateway 236 passes the IP address to the mobile device 206, the public IP address assigned to the mobile device 206 is passed to the network controller 238.

In another authorization example, upon receiving an identifier from the mobile device 206, the network controller 238 may query the data store 242 to determine if the mobile device 206 is authorized for accessing the IP network 204. Sample identifiers that may be utilized to determine access include a media access control (MAC) address associated with an access point, a mobile device or subscriber identifier (such as an International Mobile Subscriber Identifier (IMSI)), an Internet Protocol (IP) address (or “Public IP address”) associated with the access point, a fully qualified domain name (FQDN), or other similar types of information. The data store 242 may be a single database, table, or list, or a combination of databases, tables, or lists, such as one for IP addresses 244, one of MAC addresses 246, and one for FQDNs 248. The data store 242 may include “blocked” identifiers as well as “authorized” identifiers. Authorized accesses to the IP-based wireless telecommunications network may be maintained by the network controller 238 in an authorized session table or similar data construct.

In some cases, the signaling portion of a communication (e.g., the portion of the communication that governs various overhead aspects of the communication such as, for example, when the call starts, when the call stops, initiating a telephone ring, etc.) is routed through the network controller 238 to the switch 218, while the voice bearer portion of the communication (e.g., the portion of the communication that contains the actual content (either data or voice information) of the communication) is routed through the network controller 238 to a media gateway 250. In other words, the media gateway 250 controls the content flow between the service provider and the mobile device 206, while the switch 218 controls the signaling flow (or controls overhead-related flow) between the service provider and the mobile device 216.

Service Zones Overview

The system and methods described herein can be used to translate WiFi access points and broadband Internet networks into arbitrary aggregations, or zones, and then provide associated functions or services, such as corresponding customized services to subscribers. Service zones can be used in a wide variety of ways to customize a subscriber's experience. These features can be used to, for example, indicate the availability of free calls to a subscriber, or to indicate location specific information to the subscriber such as “Happy Holidays from your favorite department store” when the subscriber is in that store. In UMA embodiments, the UMA protocol or specification includes a “UMA Service Zone” (USZ) field. The appropriate USZ information can be found from a database using any combination of parameters. These parameters can include, as non-limiting examples, Service Zone, Service Type, date, week day, and time of day.

Service zones could be aggregations, clusters or sets of access points, typically identified by the MAC address or IP address of the associated WiFi access point, or another designator in converged cellular-IP embodiments, such as a proximate cellsite global indicator (CGI). For example, a single zone could include thousands of WiFi access points around the world, such as access points located in worldwide retail locations of a particular business. In UMA embodiments, the USZ field can be used to specify particular service zones that could be associated with specific service types. As non-limiting examples, services that can be provided may be favorable billing rates, free services (e.g., free downloadable songs or other digital content), location-based services associated with that zone (e.g., cafeteria menu associated with a cafeteria within that zone), and so forth. Zones may also be mapped to individual subscribers, so that employees within a given zone would receive certain benefits or content, whereas visitors would not.

These zones can be implemented by use of a database in the network that associates a zone designator to one or more access points or regions. Further, the database may associate particular subscribers to particular services for that zone. Subscribers may be identified uniquely by any of a variety of designators, such as mobile station or subscriber ID (such as an international mobile subscriber identifier, or IMSI), or other identifier. The database can also link to specific content or services, as well as associated rules for providing that content/service.

Implementation Description

In UMA implementations, the UMA specification supports a UMA Service Zone (USZ) field for “UMA Service Zone Information.” This field is returned to the mobile device by the UMA Network Controller (UNC) during registration. A purpose of the UMZ Service Zone Information element is to provide the mobile station with UMA Service Zone information applicable to the current location of the user. It can include at least two fields: UMA Service Zone Name string can be used by the UNC to indicate textual information related to the location, and UMA Service Zone Icon Indicator can be used by the UNC to turn on various indicators in the mobile station.

The USZ can depend on any combination of mobile device location and subscriber identity. Using the systems and methods disclosed herein, the subscriber's WiFi location can be mapped into Service Zones in the UNC, a subscriber's Service Type can be provisioned from Customer Care/Billing Systems to the UNC, and the appropriate USZ information can be found from a database using a combination of Service Zone, Service Type, date, week day, and time of day as keys. Thus, WiFi service zone information can be used in conjunction with other data such as subscriber Service Type, date, day of week, time of day as keys into a database that stores the possible UMS Service Zone information. When the subscriber registers with the network, the appropriate USZ is determined from this database. Thus, USZ could depend on both location and subscriber. Some or all of the mappings described herein can be performed through the use of one or more databases.

The systems and methods described herein could be implemented in the following manner, as illustrated in FIG. 3:

1. Map WiFi location to WiFi zone (301). In this step or block, physical access points and broadband networks can be mapped to Service Zones (clusters). As non-limiting examples, a service zone can be defined in any of three ways: (1) by access point MAC address or collection of access point MAC addresses, (2) by IP address or range of IP addresses, or (3) by fully qualified domain name (FQDN) or partial FQDN matches. In some embodiments, service zones can be associated with a CellID. The CellID is reported through to the billing system so that the subscriber's call is rated correctly. In some embodiments, the mapping of WiFI locations to WiFi zones can be performed in the UNC. Additionally, the subscriber's WiFi location can be mapped into a Service Zone in the UNC.

The Service Zones may be defined in a database associated with the network, such as the data store 242, or customer care or billing system databases (not shown). As noted below, a table or other data structure associates a number or other zone identifier with one or more IP address, MAC addresses, FQDNs, etc. Other Internet Protocol or non-Internet Protocol schemes could be used. In some embodiments, one or more CellIDs may be used. The zone need not be contiguous or overlapping APs, but could be scattered throughout a region, state, country, etc.

2. Map WiFi zone to service type (302). In this step or block, the subscriber's Service Type is provisioned to or by the system. An example of a service type might be “Microsoft location specific campus plan for Redmond.” Another might be “non-location specific regular plan.” A subscriber's Service Type can be provisioned from the Customer Care and Billing System to the UNC. Thus, a subscriber on the Microsoft campus might receive a preferential billing plan. Or, customized content could be pushed to the phone based on this information, such as a menu of a nearby restaurant.

Again, service types may be defined in a database associated with the network, such as the data store 242. As noted herein, one or more service types may be defined in a table or other data structure, where one or more service types may be associated with each service zone defined in step (301). Indeed, a given service zone may have multiple service types, which may include specific billing rates, delivery of certain content (e.g. content geographically related to the zone), advertisements, and/or rules. As one example, rules may relate to filtering, screening, or security for providing data/communications to/from mobile stations in the zone. Further, other data may assist in defining an appropriate service type, such as time of day, day of week, etc.

3. Map subscriber to service type (303). In this step or block, when the subscriber registers with the network, an appropriate USZ is fetched from a database by using mapped service zone information and the user Service Type. Also, in some embodiments, different time specific qualifiers can be used to determine the USZ to use. Examples of such qualifiers could be the current date, day of week and/or time of day. For example, a USZ textual message such as “Happy Holidays,” or “Good Morning” could be sent to the subscriber.

Again, subscribers may be previously associated with service types and defined in a database associated with the network, such as the data store 242. As noted herein, one or more subscribers may be identified by any known subscriber or handset identifier, such as NEI, IMSI, SIM Number, SSN, mobile phone number, etc. A subscriber identified in the database may be associated with one or more zones/service types in a table or other data structure. Thus, in one example, employees may be identified and associated with an employer in the database so that those employees received certain services when within the employer's service zone.

While the three steps or blocks described above are illustrated in a certain sequential order, they could be performed in any sequence or order, and of course other steps or block may be included. By execution of these mapping steps, access points can be flexibly mapped or grouped. As discussed above, they can be grouped by MAC address, IP address, or FQDN, into WiFi locations zones which can then be used in conjunction with the subscriber's Service Type to determine an appropriate USZ to return to the subscriber.

UMA Zones Database

As illustrated in the table below, the UMA Zones database can store groups of access points, IP addresses, and/or fully qualified domain names (FQDN). The database can be keyed to a unique integer field called a Zone Number. Records in the database can store at least one type of information, such as access point MAC address(es), IP address(es) or FQDN(s). For example, a database could be used to indicate that a certain retail establishment name is associated with certain MAC addresses. It is possible to store individual values, ranges of values, or use wild card values in any of the records. For example, a record may include a single URI such as wabod01s01.t-mobile.com, or it could be stored in a form that captures subdomains, such as *.t-mobile.com. In the case of an IP address, it is possible to store the addresses with a subnet mask to indicate multiple IP addresses, for example, 24.16.43.0/16 or similar. It is possible to include records with duplicate or partially duplicated IP/MAC/FQDN entries with different CGI, values. Entries in the UMA Zones database can be used to indicate some or all IP addresses, some or all domains (FQDNs), some or all access points associated with a particular manufacturer or service provider, such as all T-Mobile sold access points, and some or all MAC addresses that are to be used in default zones. In some embodiments, a user-friendly interface can be provided for modifying the UMA zones database.

Field Name Data Type Notes Zone Number Unique integer This is the database base key Zone <IP address range> or This defines the zone. It can <MAC address be an individual address or range> or <FQDN domain or a range. range> CGI_(z) Text This is the value sent to the MSC to include in call detail records (CDRs) to indicate rating in this Zone. [UMZ Service Text This is the string and numeric Zone Text and indicator for a handset icon to icon indicator] be sent to the mobile to be displayed on screen. The UMA Service Type Database

As illustrated in the table below, the UMA system can also provide a UMA service type database. This database can store the rating relationship between service types and LIMA zones in the UMA Zone database. Each record in the UMA Service Type database can refer and/or be linked to multiple records in the UMA Zones database.

Field Name Data Type Notes Service Type Unique integer This is the database base key [Zone Zone Number There may be a single or Number(s)] (foreign key) multiple UMA zones associated from UMA Zones with a single service type database record. UMA Subscriber Database

The subscriber database can include an API for external systems such as billing, IVRs, and customer care to read and write subscriber data. As illustrated in the table below, the subscriber database can be used to store subscriber profiles keyed to the IMSI. The UNC can be configured to determine the appropriate IMSI based on the IMSI that is found in the URR discovery, URR register, and URR Register Update messages received from a mobile device.

The subscriber database can store at least three enumerated fields keyed by IMSI: UMA Barring (barred/not barred), UMA service type, and LIMA roaming (allowed/barred). The subscriber database can have a field for a serving UNC for a given IMSI. The subscriber database can be configured to keep MAC address/CGI pairs to enable subscriber billing on a per access point basis. The first MAC address/CGI pair is referred to as MAC_(H1) and CGI_(H1) respectively. Subsequent pairs are referred to as MAC_(H2) and CGI_(H2), etc. In some embodiments, the CGI values can include a single default value for all subscribers.

The subscriber database can include a field for storing the MSISDN associated with the IMSI. The subscriber database can store the subscriber's address, including address, city, state, and zip code. The subscriber database can also store the maximum number of MAC/CGI pairs allowed for a subscriber. In some embodiments, the subscriber database can reference an audio file. This audio file can be associated with one or more service zones and can be played back for a user when the user is in the associated service zone. The audio file can be stored either on the subscriber's mobile unit or on a network data store remote from the phone. In some embodiments, the audio can be a lossless or relatively lossless format, such as a Windows WAV file, in other embodiments the audio file can be compressed using a scheme such as MP3. The user may provide names for audio files or the files themselves, the network may provide them, or both.

A sample table illustrating the data that can be stored in the LIMA subscriber database is provided below.

Field Name Data Type Notes IMSI Unique value This is the database base key MSISDN Numeric MSIISDN will be used by the IVR that provisions MAC address in the subscriber database UMA Barring Boolean, Default Indicates whether subscriber is allowed Value is allowed UMA service (home or roaming) UMA Roaming Boolean, Default Indicates whether or not subscriber is Value is not allowed allowed UMA roaming Service Type Integer. Default value Indicates which service type (from the is 1 UMA Service Type Database) that the subscriber subscribes to Serving UNC IP address or FQDN Indicates the service UNC preferred for the subscriber [MAC_(H1), CGI_(H1), MAC address Indicates a MAC address/CGI pair and UMA Service (hexadecimal value), the UMA Service Zone text to send to the Zone text and icon CGI values, UMA mobile indicator, Service Zone (text), Descriptor, Audio Descriptor (text), file Audio file (binary or base64 encoded) Default LAC Integer Indicates the time zone that a call occurred in to the billing system. The Default LAC value indicates the default value to be included in the billing CDR for a subscriber if the time zone can't be determined by other means [Primary Place of For location purposes Use Address] Max Number of Numeric The maximum number of MAC/CGI Access Points entries allowed in the subscriber database. In some embodiments. Default = 0

An example method for implementing customized service types based on service zones is illustrated in the steps of FIG. 4. In step 401, the process begins when the subscriber is in the midst of registering and has successfully authenticated. In step 402, the system checks for a match between the reported MAC address and the MAC entries in the Subscriber Database. In step 403, it is determined whether there is a MAC match in the Subscriber Database. If there is a match, in step 404, the system stores the corresponding CGI value from the Subscriber Database in the UNC. The CGI value and the UMA Service Zone can be sent to the mobile device. In step 405, registration continues. If it is determined that there is no match in step 403, then, in step 406, the Service Type is determined from the Subscriber Database. In step 407, the UMA Zone is determined from the UMA Zone database.

In step 408, it is determined whether there is a Service Type to UMA Zone match in the Service Type database. If there is a match, then, in step 409, the corresponding CGIz value from the UMA Service Type database is stored in the UNC. The UMA Service Zone can be sent to the mobile device. In step 410, registration continues. If it is determined that there is no match in step 408, then, in step 411, a default CGI value is stored in the UNC. The default CGI value and default UMA Service Zone can be sent to the mobile device. Any calls or billable communications can be at then standard rates (e.g. standard GSM rates for a given service provider). In step 412, registration continues.

Conclusion

Many specific details of certain embodiments of the invention are set forth in the description and in FIGS. 1-4 to provide a thorough understanding of these embodiments. A person skilled in the art, however, will understand that the invention may be practiced without several of these details and that additional details can be added to the invention. For example, some network elements are described herein as performing certain functions. Those functions could be performed by other elements in the same or differing networks, which could reduce the number of network elements. Alternatively or additionally, network elements performing those functions could be replaced by two or more elements to perform portions of those functions. Well-known structures and functions have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of the embodiments of the invention. As used herein, one or more components “coupled” to each other can be coupled directly (i.e., no other components are between the coupled components) or indirectly (i.e., one or more other components can be placed between the coupled components).

While “WiFi” and UMA is used herein as examples, the system may employ any type of wireless protocol, including wireless local, wide and metropolitan area network (WLAN, WWAN, WMAN, respectively) access protocols. For example, wireless protocols can be based on any of the 802.11 IEEE standards. Some embodiments the system can employ Bluetooth, Ultra-wideband, WiMAX, or ZigBee protocols. Further, while a particular system employing wireless devices communicating with a network server via an AP and network (e.g. the Internet), other system configurations are possible. For example, a system can include a computer that provides a physical network link to the Internet and also provides a wireless bridge to a peripheral device (e.g., a wireless device or another computer).

The invention can be practiced with other communications, data processing, or computer system configurations. The facility can be implemented in environments other than the environments depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2. For example, the mobile telecommunications device described herein could be a non-IP-enabled mobile phone that connects to an IP-enabled access point that is connected to an IP-based telecommunications network over an IP network. As a second example, the mobile telecommunications device could be an analog telephone that connects to an IP-enabled terminal adaptor that is connected to an IP-based telecommunications network over an IP network. As a third example, the telecommunications device could be an IP-enabled softmobile (e.g., a personal computer having a USB device with an embedded SIM and UMA softphone application) that is connected to an IP-based telecommunications network over an IP network.

The telecommunications device may also include other devices, such as wearable computers, devices that perform monitoring or tracking functions, and any other device (or combination of devices) that is IP-enabled, either in hardware, software, or a combination of both hardware and software. As non-limiting examples, the mobile device could be any one or combination of Internet appliances, hand-held devices (including personal digital assistants (PDAs)), wearable computers, all manner of cellular or mobile phones, multi-processor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, set-top boxes, network PCs, mini-computers, mainframe computers, and the like. The terms “computer,” “server,” “host,” “host system,” and the like are generally used interchangeably herein, and refer to any of the above devices and systems, as well as any data processor. Therefore, those of skill in the art will understand that various configurations are possible and that the facility can be implemented in a wide variety of environments.

Of course, aspects of the invention can be embodied in a special purpose computer or data processor (e.g. a mobile phone) that is specifically programmed, configured, or constructed to perform one or more of the computer-executable instructions explained in detail herein. Aspects of the invention can also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks or modules are performed by remote processing devices, which are linked through a communications network, such as a Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), or the Internet. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote memory storage devices.

Aspects of the invention may be stored or distributed on computer-readable media, including magnetically or optically readable computer discs, hard-wired or preprogrammed chips (e.g., EEPROM semiconductor chips), nanotechnology memory, biological memory, or other data storage media. Indeed, computer implemented instructions, data structures, screen displays, and other data under aspects of the invention may be distributed over the Internet or over other networks (including wireless networks), on a propagated signal on a propagation medium (e.g., an electromagnetic wave(s), a sound wave, etc.) over a period of time, or they may be provided on any analog or digital network (packet switched, circuit switched, or other scheme).

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense, as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of “including, but not limited to.” Additionally, the words “herein,” “above,” “below,” and words of similar import, when used in this application, shall refer to this application as a whole and not to any particular portions of this application. Where the context permits, words in the above Detailed Description using the singular or plural number may also include the plural or singular number respectively. The word “or” in reference to a list of two or more items, covers all of the following interpretations of the word: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list, and any combination of the items in the list.

The above detailed description of embodiments of the invention is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed above. While specific embodiments of, and examples for, the invention are described above for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the invention, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. For example, while processes or blocks are presented in a given order, alternative embodiments may perform routines having steps, or employ systems having blocks, in a different order, and some processes or blocks may be deleted, moved, added, subdivided, combined, and/or modified to provide alternative or subcombinations. Each of these processes or blocks may be implemented in a variety of different ways. Also, while processes or blocks are at times shown as being performed in series, these processes or blocks may instead be performed in parallel, or may be performed at different times.

The teachings of the invention provided herein can be applied to other systems, not necessarily the system described above. The elements and acts of the various embodiments described above can be combined or altered to provide further embodiments. Any patents and applications and other references noted above, including any that may be listed in accompanying filing papers, are incorporated herein by reference. Aspects of the technology can be modified, if necessary, to employ the systems, functions, and concepts of the various references described above to provide yet further embodiments of the technology.

These and other changes can be made to the invention in light of the above Detailed Description. While the above description describes certain embodiments of the invention, and describes the best mode contemplated, no matter how detailed the above appears in text, the invention can be practiced in many ways. Details of the system may vary considerably in its implementation details, while still being encompassed by the invention disclosed herein.

The terminology used in the Detailed Description is intended to be interpreted in its broadest reasonable manner, even though it is being used in conjunction with a detailed description of certain specific embodiments of the invention. Certain terms may even be emphasized; however, any terminology intended to be interpreted in any restricted manner will be overtly and specifically defined as such in this Detailed Description section. In general, the terms used in the following claims should not be construed to limit the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification, unless the above Detailed Description section explicitly defines such terms. Accordingly, the actual scope of the invention encompasses not only the disclosed embodiments, but also all equivalent ways of practicing or implementing the invention under the claims.

While certain aspects of the invention are presented below in certain claim forms, the inventors contemplate the various aspects of the invention in any number of claim forms. For example, while only one aspect of the invention is recited as a means-plus-function claim under 35 U.S.C. sec. 112, other aspects may likewise be embodied as a means-plus-function claim. Accordingly, the inventors reserve the right to add additional claims after filing the application to pursue such additional claim forms for other aspects of the invention. 

We claim:
 1. In a system having multiple wireless handheld devices wherein the handheld devices communicate with at least one server computer via an internet protocol (IP)-based wireless local area network (WLAN), a method associated with the providing of services to groups of subscribers, the method comprising: defining multiple service zones, wherein each service zone includes one or more access points for one or more IP-based WLANs; storing the defined multiple service zones; assigning at least one service type for each of the multiple service zones, wherein some of the service types for some service zones differ from service types for other service zones, wherein the service types include billing rates, and wherein at least one of the service types includes a free mobile phone service for at least some handheld devices within at least one of the service zones; storing the service types assigned to each of the multiple service zones; determining that one of the multiple handheld devices is operating within one of the multiple service zones, wherein the one handheld device is configured to communicate over the IP-based WLANs or over a cellular phone network under a wireless protocol; and, providing to the one handheld device at least one of the service types for the one service zone in which the one handheld device is operating.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the handheld devices are dual-mode devices capable of seamlessly communicating over both the cellular phone network and one or more IP-based WLANs, wherein each WLAN includes at least one wireless access point for communicating with the handheld devices under a known WLAN protocol, and wherein the WLAN protocol differs from a wireless protocol for the cellular phone network.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the handheld devices employ at least a portion of an Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA), or Generic Access Network (GAN), or Session Initiated Protocol (SIP) protocol to communicate with the WLAN.
 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: associating at least some of the multiple handheld devices with at least some of the multiple service zones; and, storing the associations.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining is performed in association with when the one handheld device registers with one of the access points.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the service types define one or more advertisements to be displayed to a handheld device user.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the defining multiple service zones comprises defining multiple service zones based on IP addresses or MAC addresses for sets of access points.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the service types include downloadable digital content files.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing includes providing an icon for display on the one handheld device based on the one service zone.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing includes providing text for display on the one handheld device based on the one service zone.
 11. A system for receiving services at a mobile device, comprising: means for providing communications at the mobile device based on a protocol, wherein the protocol is Generic Access Network (GAN), or Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA), or Session Initiated Protocol (SIP); means for obtaining or providing information associated with a logical location of an IP-based wireless access network in which the mobile device is currently operating, wherein the logical location is associated with a predefined service zone; means for receiving content and at least one service type based at least in part on the predefined service zone; means for associating the mobile device with the predefined service zone, and means for storing the association.
 12. The system of claim 11 wherein the received content or at least one service is based at least in part on a time of day or day of week.
 13. The system of claim 11, further comprising means for storing the information regarding the logical location of the mobile device.
 14. The system of claim 11, further comprising means for displaying the information regarding the logical location of the mobile device.
 15. The system of claim 11, further comprising means for displaying an icon based on the predefined service zone.
 16. The system of claim 11, further comprising means for displaying text based on the predefined service zone.
 17. The system of claim 11, wherein the means for obtaining or providing comprises means for registering the mobile device with an access point associated with the predefined service zone.
 18. The system of claim 11, wherein the received content or at least one service is based at least in part on a unique identifier associated with the mobile device.
 19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program to at least assist in providing services for a mobile telecommunications device, the computer program performing a method comprising: obtaining information associated with a network location of the mobile telecommunications device, wherein the mobile telecommunications device is configured for wireless voice communications over both a cellular network and an IP-based computer network, wherein the mobile telecommunications device employs at least a portion of an Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA), or Generic Access Network (GAN), or Session Initiated Protocol (SIP) protocol to communicate with the IP-based wireless access network, and wherein the network location of the mobile telecommunications device is determined by one or more geographical areas covered by a wireless IP-based computer network; determining a predefined zone associated with the IP-based computer network in which the mobile telecommunications device is located; and providing content and at least one service type to the mobile telecommunications device based at least in part on the predefined zone.
 20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the obtaining comprises registering the mobile telecommunications device with a wireless node associated with the IP-based computer network.
 21. A computer-implemented method associated with providing services in a mobile telecommunications network, wherein the mobile telecommunications network includes a cellular network, the method comprising: defining, on a database, multiple service zones, wherein each service zone is defined by a coverage area of one or more wireless local area networks (WLANs); associating at least one service type for each of the defined multiple service zones, wherein at least one of the service types for at least one service zone differ from service types for other service zones; , storing an association of the service types with the defined multiple service zones, wherein subscribers operating wireless devices capable of operating in both the cellular network and the WLANs receive at least some of the service types based on the defined multiple service zones, associating at least some of the wireless devices with at least some of the defined multiple service zones; and storing the associations.
 22. The method of claim 21, wherein the wireless devices employ an Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) protocol, or Generic Access Network (GAN) protocol, or Session Initiated Protocol (SIP) protocol.
 23. The method of claim 21, further comprising: determining that one of wireless devices is operating within one of the defined multiple service zones; and, providing to the one wireless device at least one of the service types for the one defined service zone in which the one wireless device is operating.
 24. A computer-implemented method for providing services to groups of subscribers, the method comprising: receiving an access request with a network controller from a mobile device via an IP-based wireless access network, wherein the mobile device employs at least a portion of an Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA), or Generic Access Network (GAN), or Session Initiated Protocol (SIP) protocol to communicate with the IP-based wireless access network; sending an access point identifier to the network controller, wherein the access point identifier is associated with a point of entry into the IP-based wireless access network for the mobile device; querying a database with the access point identifier; receiving a reply from the database in response to the query, wherein the reply includes a service zone identifier associated with the access point; and providing an output based on the service zone identifier, wherein the output includes a service type associated with a service zone identified by the service zone identifier.
 25. In a system having multiple wireless handheld devices capable of communicating over an IP-based wireless local area network (WLAN) that includes at least one wireless access point for communicating with the multiple wireless handheld devices, an apparatus comprising: a database; and a server, coupled to the database, and configured to: define multiple zones of service, wherein each zone of service includes one or more access points for one or more WLANs; assign at least one service type for each of the multiple zones of service, wherein some of the service types for some zones of service differ from types of service for other zones of service, wherein at least one service type includes billing rates, and wherein at least one service type includes a free mobile phone service for at least some of the multiple wireless handheld devices within an assigned zone of service; storing the assigned service types for each of the multiple zones of service; determine that one of the multiple wireless handheld devices is operating within one of the multiple zones of service; and, associate the one wireless handheld device with at least one of the zones of service in which the one wireless handheld device is operating.
 26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the one wireless handheld device is configured to provide voice communications over both a cellular phone network and over the IP-based WLAN under Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) protocol, or Generic Access Network (GAN) protocol, or Session Initiated Protocol (SIP) protocol.
 27. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein at least two zones of service share a single access point, and wherein at least two zones of service are assigned to a single service type. 